The Three Golden Apples" – Hercules The Hero– Part 1

Hi,

This is Stefania and we've got a different kind of story today.

This is a Greek mythology tale.

One young lady requested one and I found one.

This is called The Three Golden Apples and is a story concerning Hercules.

The Three Golden Apples Did you ever hear of the golden apples that grew in the garden of the Hesperides?

Ah,

Those were such apples as would bring a great price by the bushel if any of them could be found growing in the orchards of nowadays.

But there's not,

I suppose,

Even a piece,

A graft,

Of that wonderful fruit on a single tree in the whole wide world,

Not so much as the seed of these apples exists any longer.

And even in the old,

Half-forgotten times,

Before the garden of the Hesperides was overrun with weeds,

A great many people doubted whether there could be real trees that bore apples of solid gold on their branches.

All had heard of them,

But nobody remembered to have seen any.

Children nevertheless used to listen open-mouth to the stories of the golden apple tree and resolved to discover it when they should be big enough.

Adventurous young men who desired to do a braver thing than any of their fellows set out in quest of this fruit.

Many of them returned no more.

None of them brought back the apples.

No wonder that they found it impossible to gather them.

It is said that there was a dragon beneath the tree with a hundred terrible heads,

Fifty of which were always on the watch while the other fifty slept.

It was quite a common thing with young persons who got tired of too much peace and rest and doing nothing to go in search of the garden of the Hesperides.

And once the adventure was undertaken by a hero who had enjoyed very little peace or rest since he came into the world.

At that time,

Of which I am going to speak,

He was wandering through the pleasant land of Italy with a mighty club in his hand and a bow and quiver slung across his shoulders.

He was wrapped in the skin of the fiercest and biggest lion that had ever been seen which he himself had killed,

And though on the whole he was kind and generous and noble,

There was a good deal of the lion's fierceness in his heart.

As he went on his way,

He continually inquired whether that was the right road to the famous garden.

But none of the country people knew anything about the matter and many looked as if they would have laughed at the question of a stranger had he not carried such a big club.

So he journeyed on and on,

Still making the same inquiry,

Until at last he came to the brink of a river where some beautiful young women sat twining wreaths of flowers.

Can you tell me,

Pretty maidens?

Asked the stranger,

Whether this is the right way to the Garden of the Hesperides.

Unhearing the stancher's question,

They dropped all their flowers on the grass and gazed at him with astonishment.

The Garden of the Hesperides?

Cried one.

We thought mortals had been weary of seeking it after so many disappointments.

And pray,

Adventurous traveller,

What do you want there?

A certain king.

Who is my cousin?

Replied he,

Has ordered me to get him three of the golden apples.

And do you know?

Asked the damsel who had first spoken,

That a terrible dragon with a hundred heads keeps watch under the golden apple tree.

I know it well,

Answered the stranger calmly,

But from my cradle upward it has been my business and almost my pastime,

My hobby,

To deal with serpents and dragons.

The young women looked at his club and at the shaggy lion's skin which he wore,

And likewise at his heroic limbs and figure.

And they whispered to each other that the stranger appeared to be the one who might reasonably expect to perform deeds far beyond the might of others.

Go back!

Cried they all.

Go back to your own home.

Your mother,

Beholding you safe and sound,

Will shed tears of joy.

And what can she do more should you win ever so great a victory?

No matter for the golden apples?

No matter for the king,

Your cruel cousin.

We do not wish the dragon with a hundred heads to eat you up.

The stranger seemed to grow impatient.

At these comments,

He carelessly lifted his mighty club and let it fall upon a rock that lay half buried in the earth nearby.

With the force of that idle blow,

The great rock was shattered all to pieces.

Do you not believe,

Said he,

Looking at the damsels with a smile,

That such a blow as that would have crushed one of the dragon's hundred heads?

But the dragon of Hesperides,

You know,

Observed one of the damsels,

Has a hundred heads.

Nevertheless,

Replied the stranger,

I would rather fight two such dragons than a single hydra.

The traveler proceeded to tell how he chased a very swift stag for 12 months altogether without ever stopping to take a breath,

And had at last caught it.

And he had found a very odd race of people,

And from a sense of duty,

Had sent them away.

Do you call that a wonderful exploit?

Asked one of the young maidens with a smile.

Any clown in the country has done as much.

Perhaps you may have heard of me before,

Said he modestly.

My name is Hercules.

We have already guessed it,

Replied the maidens,

For your wonderful deeds are known all over the world.

We do not think it strange any longer that you should set out in quest of the golden apples of the Hesperides.

Come sisters,

Let us crown the hero with flowers.

Then they flung beautiful wreaths over his stately head and mighty shoulders,

So that the lion's skin was almost entirely covered with roses.

They took possession of his ponderous giant club,

And so entwined it about with the brightest,

Softest,

And most fragrant blossoms that could be seen.

Lastly they joined hands and danced around him,

Chanting words which became poetry of their own accord,

And grew into a choral song in honor of the illustrious Hercules.

Dear maidens,

Said he when they paused to take a breath,

Now that you know my name,

Will you not tell me how I am to reach the garden of the Hesperides?

We will give you the best directions we can,

Replied the damsels.

You must go to the seashore and find the old one,

And compel him to inform you to tell you where the golden apples are to be found.

Oh,

The old one,

Repeated Hercules,

Laughing at this odd name,

And prayed.

Who may the old one be?

Why,

The old man of the sea,

To be sure,

Answered one of the damsels.

You must talk with this old man of the sea.

He is a seafaring person,

And knows all about the garden of Hesperides,

For it is situated in an island which he is often in the habit of visiting.

Hercules then asked whereabouts the old one was most likely to be met with.

When the damsels had informed him,

Told him,

He thanked them for all their kindness.

But before he was out of hearing,

One of the maidens called after him.

Keep fast hold of the old man when you catch him,

Cried she.

Do not be astonished at anything that may happen.

Only hold him tight,

And he will tell you what you wish to know.

Hercules again thanked her,

And pursued his way.

We will crown him with the loveliest of our garlands,

Said they,

When he returns hither with the three golden apples after slaying a dragon with a hundred heads.

Hercules traveled constantly onward over hill and dale and through the solitary woods.

Hastening forward,

Without ever pausing or looking behind,

He by and by heard the sea roaring at a distance.

At this sound he increased his speed,

And soon came to a beach where the great surf waves tumbled themselves upon the hard sand in a long line of snowy foam.

At one end of the beach,

However,

There was a pleasant spot,

Where some green shrubbery clamored,

Climbed up a cliff,

Making his rocky face look soft and beautiful.

A carpet of lush,

Thick grass,

Largely intermixed with sweet-smelling clover,

Covered the narrow space between the bottom of the cliff and the sea.

And what should Hercules spy there but an old man fast asleep?

But was it really and truly an old man?

Certainly,

At first sight,

It looked very like one,

But on closer inspection,

It rather seemed to be some kind of a creature that lived in the sea.

For on his legs and arms there were scales,

Such as fishes have.

He was web-footed and web-fingered after the fashion of a duck,

And his long beard,

Being of a greenish color,

Had more the appearance of a bunch of seaweed than of an ordinary beard.

Hercules,

The instant he set eyes on this strange figure,

Was convinced that it could be no other than the old man who was to direct him on his way.

Thanking his stars for the lucky accident of finding the old fellow asleep,

Hercules stole on tiptoe toward him and caught him by the arm and leg.

Tell me,

Cried he,

Before the old one was well awake,

Which is the way to the Garden of the Hesperides?

The old man of the sea woke in a fright,

But his astonishment could hardly have been greater than that of Hercules the next moment.

For all of a sudden,

The old one seemed to disappear out of his grasp,

And he found himself holding a stag,

A deer,

By the fore and hind leg.

Still,

He kept hold tight.

Then the stag disappeared,

And in its place there was a sea-bird fluttering and screaming,

While Hercules clutched it by the wing and claw,

But the bird could not get away.

Immediately afterward there was an ugly three-headed dog which growled and barked at Hercules and snapped fiercely at the hands by which he held him.

But Hercules would not let him go.

In another minute,

Instead of the three-headed dog,

What should appear but Geryonis,

The six-legged man-monster kicking at Hercules with five of his legs in order to get the remaining one free?

But Hercules held on.

After a while,

No Geryonis was there but a huge snake,

Like one of those which Hercules had strangled in his babyhood only a hundred times as big.

But Hercules was no,

By no means,

Disheartened,

And he squeezed the great snake so tightly that he soon began to hiss with pain.

You must understand that the old man of the sea,

Though he generally looked like the weather-beaten figurehead of a vessel,

Had the power to assume any shape he pleased.

When he found himself so roughly held by Hercules,

He had been in hopes of putting him into such surprise and terror by these magical transformations that the hero would be glad to let him go.

If Hercules had relaxed his hold,

The old one would certainly have plunged down to the very bottom of the sea.

But Hercules held on so stubbornly and only squeezed the old one so much tighter with each change of shape,

He finally thought it best to reappear in his own figure.

Pray,

What do you want with me?

Cried the old man as soon as he could take breath.

My name is Hercules,

Roared the mighty stranger,

And you will never get out of my clutch until you tell me the nearest way to the Garden of the Hesperides.

When the old fellow heard who it was that had caught him,

He saw with half an eye that it would be necessary to tell him everything he wanted to know.

Of course,

He had often heard of the fame of Hercules and of the wonderful things that he was constantly performing in various parts of the earth,

And how determined he always was to accomplish whatever he undertook.

He therefore made no more attempts to escape,

But told the hero how to find the Garden of Hesperides.

You must go on thus and thus,

Said the old man of the sea,

Till you come in sight of a very tall giant who holds the sky on his shoulders.

And the giant,

If he happens to be in the humor,

Will tell you exactly where the Garden of the Hesperides lies.

Thanking the old man of the sea and begging his pardon for having squeezed him so tightly,

The hero resumed his journey.

He met with a great many strange adventures which would be well worth your hearing if I had the time to narrate them as minutely,

As detailed as they deserved.

Hercules continued his travels.

He went to the land of Egypt where he was taken prisoner and made his escape.

Passing through the deserts of Africa and going as fast as he could,

He arrived at last on the shore of the great ocean.

And here,

Unless he could walk on the crest of the billows,

It seemed as if his journey must be at an end.

Nothing was before him except the foaming,

Dashing,

Measureless ocean.

But suddenly,

As he looked toward the horizon,

He saw something,

A long way off,

Which he had not seen the moment before.

It shone very brightly,

Almost like the sun when it rises or sets over the edge of the world.

It seemed to get nearer and nearer,

For at every instant this wonderful object became larger and more shiny.

Finally,

It had become so close that Hercules discovered it to be an immense cup or a bowl made either of gold or shiny grass.

How it got floating in the sea,

More than I can tell you.

There it was,

In any event,

Rolling on the tumultuous waves which tossed it up and down and heaved their foamy tops against its side,

But without ever throwing their spray over into the bowl.

I have seen many giants in my time,

Thought Hercules,

But never one that would need to drink his wine out of a cup like this.

And true enough,

What a cup it must have been.

It was large,

As large,

I'm afraid to say how big it was.

It was ten times larger than a giant ferris wheel,

And all of metal it was.

It floated over the heavy waves more lightly than an acorn in a brook.

The waves tumbled it onward until it grazed against the shore within a short distance of the spot where Hercules was standing.

As soon as this happened,

He knew what was to be done.

It was just as clear as daylight that this marvelous cup had been set adrift by some unseen power and guided in order to carry Hercules across the sea on his way to the Garden of the Hesperides.

So he climbed over the brim and slid down on the inside.

The waves dashed with a pleasant and ringing sound against the circumference,

Edge of the hollow cup.

It rocked lightly to and fro,

And the motion was so soothing that it speedily rocked Hercules into an agreeable sleep.

His nap had probably lasted a good while when the cup happened to run against a rock,

And then it made such a big noise a hundred times as loudly as you ever heard a church bell.

The noise awoke Hercules,

Who instantly awoke and gazed around him wondering where he was.

He was not long in discovering that the cup had floated across a great part of the sea and was approaching the shore of what appeared to be an island.

And on that island,

What do you think he saw?

Well,

You have to wait for the next part to find out what Hercules saw and what happened to him next.

That's all for now of this Greek mythology tale,

The Golden Apples.

We'll be back again soon with the next part.

Bye for now.